16"Stay alert. This is hazardous work I'm assigning you. You're going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don't call attention to yourselves. Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove. 17"Don't be naive. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation--just because you believe in me. 18Don't be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they've done you--and me--a favor, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! 19And don't worry about what you'll say or how you'll say it. The right words will be there"
Matthew 10:16-19 (MSG version)
I read this morning about the seven South Korean Christian missionaries (Korea Council of Evangelical Churches) were taken hostage in Iraq, but released nine hours later. From a news website I read this:
"Seven South Korean Christian missionaries detained in Iraq by armed men had been released unharmed, after they pretended to be doctors and nurses and even gave their captors massages, the Foreign Ministry said today."
Now I didn't have time to find out if these missionaries are from a "legit" church and not a cult. I say this because I sent out an evite last week for an event at a church considered "cultish" and felt really embarrassed and bad about the whole incident (I was not aware of their reputation until some people told me). In any case, I thought to myself how these are some missionaries who are willing to give their lives to a cause. Being in the hotspots in Iraq right now probably makes living in Watts or Harlem seem like being treated as a guest at Fort Knox. The missionaries were very clever and "cunning" with their words and actions to avert extended captivity in such a precarious situation. There was a bit of inspiration I felt through their willingness to go to Iraq.
Now, I'm certain I won't face any hostage situation in Mongolia, but I wondered to myself today if I would go to such a place as Iraq as a missionary. And I must say that I'd be terrified and very afraid. But why? It's probably because I feel like I can't die just yet... there are still things for me to do here on earth. At the same time, if I were to depart on earth then I think it'd be easier now than later. For example, if I was married and had kids then I'd definitely feel it would be harder to part from them and leave and see them bereave. So there's a paradox. I think that I want to experience more things here on earth before I am willing to part, but in experiencing them I'd probably be less willing to part because of the reprecussions on loved ones. The only thing I can think of right now is:
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2
Preface: This is just my opinion. I hope it doesn't come off as "sermonizing"...
I wasn't surprised to find out that Bill would be selected as the inaugural apprentice to work for "The Donald". Omarosa's incompetence really hurt Kwame's chances, but in the end, Bill was probably the better candidate in my mind. It's not surprising to hear that a lot of the contestants are being offered jobs by other companies so everyone was a 'winner' to some extent. It also seems like Trump's real estate empire will only get larger at this rate- I read that he'll be pulling in $100,000 an episode next season and this doesn't include the soon-to-be book(s) I'm certain he'll be writing about the show itself.
As we are wrapping up the last few chapters of The Purpose Driven Life, I came across the introductory chaper on missions last night (Chapter 36 "Made For A Mission"). Rick Warren makes a distinction between a job and a mission. A job is what Bill was given by "The Donald" whereas a mission is something Christians were made for. At the surface, it seems to me like there are a lot of similarities between Bill's job and a Christian's mission. I remember "The Donald" reiterating to Bill how he needed to get started on the job right away and that there was no time to spare. The same urgency is echoed in regards to missions, "All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned to us by the one who sent me, because there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end." ( John 9:4 NLT) Bill's job is to help extend "The Donald's" real estate empire and a Christian's mission is to further God's kingdom and "make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." (Matthew 6:33 NLT) And there are other similarities which I don't have time to detail - Bill basically saying "yes" to "The Donald's" orders and Christians saying "yes" to God's will, the sense of accountability for the task at hand and how it affects the well being of others (bread/dough as money in the job sense vs. "The Bread of Life" as The Truth and Good News with missions), the privilege of working for "The Donald" as seen by crazy Sam's $250,000 cash offer vs. the "the privilege of urging everyone to come into his favor and be reconciled to him." (2 Cor 5:18 LB), etc., etc., etc...
Anyway, poop, I thought I'd be going somewhere with this, but now it's late and I've lost my train of thought. I guess what comes to mind immediately is this quote from the book, "The consequences of your mission will last forever; the consequences of your job will not. Nothing else you do will ever matter as much as helping people establish an eternal relationship with God." So as much as similarities as there are with a job and a mission, the two have different lasting implications.
Now I must say that the computer rendition and models of the L.A. golf course and Chicago Trump tower were amazing! It's mind boggling to imagine the sheer engineering effort and creativity needed to build these golf courses and buildings... and it is definitely a God given talent some people have. Here I am writing software code for my job and it's a lot simpler than constructing a building... I'm humbled. I'd like to have the attitude that my mission matters so much more, but it's hard eh? After all, I did spend a lot of time in school and chose to go to college and do my best at being a bookworm to get a job.
Now I'm not saying we should all quit our jobs, because I've learned that being on a mission often takes you outside the comforts and confines of a church "context". Maybe some of us have been placed where we are at our jobs for opportunities to minister to others? So... is a job different from a mission then? Or is the "job" just one task in the overall mission?
Anyway, I thought it was timely how the movie "10.5" was being hyped up during the last episode of "The Apprentice". Looks like a cool movie and it only reminds me of the fear I had when I read some article a while back of some scientists predicting "The Big One" will cause a section of California to break off. To all of them I say thanks a lot... now go make seedless watermelons truly seedless or something! Anyway, did you see all the buildings crashing down in the preview? I wonder if one of them was Trump's? So maybe that's a reminder how our mission will last forever and our job will not. Not that I ever wish for such a natural disaster, but you just can't prepare for these things so maybe our sense of accomplishments cannot ultimately rest in man-made things as splendid as it may be.
I posted this in my blog about three weeks ago... but I was re-reading it and reflecting on how amazingly God has been working in preparing the teams and making everything come together in His perfect timing, even when we were unsure at times if we'd even have a team. It's definitely a challenge ahead for all of us -- both goers and senders, but I think that God's starting to work, slowly but surely, amongst the GrX community, and I pray this is a small start to a big thing.
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We had a GrX missions committee meeting over dinner at Ming's today. It started from 7:30 in the evening, and didn't end until well after 10. In fact, we were locked in the restaurant due to the already-locked front entrance, until a kind restaurant worker showed us the alternate back exit. How's that for a Tuesday night off the beaten path? =)
I left the dinner tired but excited at all, having again seen God at work.
Originally, three of the four teams (Japan, Thailand, Mongolia, Mexico) that GrX was planning on sending this summer seemed to be deficent in the number of applicants, and we were wrestling with the issue of cancelling or combining them. Up until the very dinner, I wasn't sure how things were going to pan out. Lo and behold -- everything came through at the last moment, and we've filled the teams wonderfully.
We also talked about getting the GrX community more aware of missions as a whole -- becoming World Christians, throwing about ideas such as a sermon series, a survey in all the small groups, missions-related presentations every Sunday service and so forth. I was particularly encouraged to hear David mention that our pastor (also David) too wanted to see missions be integrated more throughly into the structure of the church (after all, it all comes down to him), even tring to get all the coaches and small group leaders going on a trip at some point in time.
Now, it's all up to us and God to help transform the hearts of this GrX body of 400+. The talents combined with the altruism and selfishness of my fellow church members has always struck me. Now, imagine if just a small fraction developed the same attitude towards being a World Christian -- whether as a sender, goer, or supporter -- interested in what God is doing beyond our cozy Silicon Valley.
It's encouraging to me, because the one regret that I had upon leaving Wellspring for GrX was that there didn't seem to be as much of an emphasis on missions from the very top of the pastoral leadership downwards -- it was "just another department". I am of course not faulting GrX, as that thinking is typical in most churches out there. And yet, hearing David's ideas and his meetings with Pastor Dave thus far, I'm encouraged and realize that changing this mindset amongst the GrX community, while definitely taking a lot of work, is far from a daunting one, but just like missions work itself, it is a chance for God to show His glory at work when our own is insufficient.
I'm thankful that I've got such fellow missions-minded brothers and sisters such as Leslie, David, and Christine. Like Christianity and the church itself, catching a World Christian vision starts with a small core group of dedicated people within an existing population.
It's going to be hard, for sure -- and I admit, being in this role in real life, I don't really know where to start, despite having heard many a speaker and reading many a book about missions.
In a way, the current "mission field" for me is right here, within my own church. And I was reminded how opportune this moment of my life was at this time and still is right now, when He called me to unexpectedly stay in the Bay Area and GrX.
I'm more and more convinced that mobilization is a part of the reason whatever it may be, although I never saw myself as a mobilizer or interested in it. As this hits me, I remember 5 years ago, about God calling me to try a short-term missions trip for the first time, although I never saw myself as a missionary or interested in it at all. From that first trip, I saw God change hearts, and now, I am not afraid to ask this question: how will He develop and grow this body to be aware of the world out there?
I know God will -- we just have to see how.
And so it begins.
An empty vessel indeed... but one ready to be mightily used by God for His purpose. With this blog, the 12 members of the GrX Mongolia team and myself will chronicle our preparations, prayer requests, and hopefully experiences within the country itself.
I'm extremely excited, not only for the trip itself, and everyone on the team, but also for what this will soon hopefully grow to be -- a medium to record, share and more importantly convey the sense and the true nature of the short-term missions experience to our supporters who've blessed us with prayer and funds.
For those who haven't gone on a short term trip, there's often a disconnect between the supporters at home, and the post-trip sharing that most short term teams do. They see the pretty pictures, they listen to the testimonies, but still, they think "what's the big deal?" And while there's no subsitute for actually going and experiencing the missions field first-hand, in this day and age, those who are going have the ability now to really share what's going on, with the church body.
Yes, there are the post-trip debriefs, presentations, and follow-up thank you letters, and they have their place. But a blog complements them -- offersing an easy way to publish quickly and (more or less) immediately, almost raw, unfiltered. Everyone tries to polish what they say when writing a letter or even email, and we try to minimize the communications we send out to avoid "overwhelming" readers. Not so with a blog, which is why I'm excited to see how we'll all use this -- not only the Mongolia team, but others as well -- to get the GrX community excited and aware of what their prayer and financial support are directly going towards. Plus, a blog allows commenting and feedback, and thus, a two way dialogue which is unique in many ways as well.
So, I pray this empty vessel may soon be filled -- with prayers, laughter, tears, and most of all, a sense of God working through the team in all that we do, in and out of Mongolia, and I pray that GrX may get a sense of what God's doing through the team, the host missionaries, and amongst those we're reaching in Mongolia.
Amen.